MAGISTRATE'S COURT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10278, 13 May 1919, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

ASSAULT ON SHIP’S OFFICER. Air F. V. Frazer, S.M., presided over yesterday’s sitting of tho Magistrate’s Court.

James Henry, a seaman on the Itaranga, was charged with being drunk and with assaulting Arthur William Seward, third officer of the vessel. Tho complainant said that at 7 o’clock on Saturday evening the accused came to the officers’ quarteis and inquired for the third officer. Witness saw tho defendant, wU () _ struck him a blow on the back of his head. Earlier in the afternoon Henry came aboard the ship and inquired for witness. He said to the second oiiicor; 1 ‘ 1 want to knock his head off. uitness was ashore at the time. Tho accused had a grudge against witness for reporting him to the captain for insolence. The magistrate said that the act was that of a drunken man, but the assault was made more serious by having been committed ou the officer of a ship. The defendant would be convicted and discharged for drunkenness, and fined £3, with £1 Is costs, for the assault. Tho default period was fixed at fourteen days. OBSCENE LANGUAGE. James Brown was charged with insobriety, obscene language, and breaking the conditions of his prohibition order. The police said the accused had offended . on several occasions. When arrested on Saturday he was drunk, rolling about the street, and Making uso of obscene language at the top of his voice. He was convicted and discharged for drunkenness and for breaking his order, and on the obscene language charge he was fined £o, in default one month’s imprisonment. MAINTENANCE OASES. Annie Webley was granted a separation order against her husband, Albert Edward Webley, with £1 Is costs. Charles Philip Badger, win* had tailed to supply his wife with maintenance under an order of the court, was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment, and the warrant was ordered to he suspended for fourteen days. The arrears of maintenance amounted to £4 10s ' ' , , ~ , Francisco Freitas, who had allowed arrears -of maintenance of his two children to amount to £3O, was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at Greymouth. The. accused was given twenty-one (lays- in which to find the money- before the warrant for commitment is served.